Dictation on Mac: built-in Apple Dictation vs apps
By Gustav Tøstie, founder of voicedropPublished 6 min read
Written by the founder of VoiceDrop. We compare fairly, but we’re obviously fans of our own app.
Short answer
Every Mac has free dictation built in: turn it on in System Settings, Keyboard, Dictation, then press the Microphone key or your shortcut and speak. It is great for short text. For long AI prompts, filler-word removal, mixed languages and meeting notes, our pick, as the maker, is VoiceDrop, with one account across Mac, Windows and iPhone.
Why people pick VoiceDrop
- Fast, clean dictation: release the key and your words are transcribed and inserted straight away. Filler words like “um” are removed automatically in Windows and Mac dictation.
- One shortcut in every app: the Claude, ChatGPT and Codex desktop apps, the browser, Mail, Slack and Teams.
- Mix languages freely: 57 languages with automatic detection, so there is no manual switching when you blend, say, Norwegian and English.
- Meetings without a bot: record any call on your Mac and get speakers, timestamps and Smart Notes, on every plan including free.
How do I turn on dictation on a Mac?
Apple Dictation is part of macOS and costs nothing. According to Apple Support, you switch it on like this:
- Choose Apple menu, then System Settings, then Keyboard.
- Under Dictation, turn Dictation on. If asked, click Enable. You can choose whether to share audio recordings with Apple, or click Not Now.
- Optional: open the Shortcut menu to choose a key combination, or choose Customize and press the keys you want.
- Optional: click Edit next to Languages to add more dictation languages.
To dictate, click where you want the text, then press the Microphone key (if your keyboard has one), use your Dictation shortcut, or choose Edit, then Start Dictation. Speak, and press Escape, the Microphone key or the shortcut again to stop. If you added several languages, you can switch between them with the language indicator next to the cursor, or the Globe key where available.
What is Apple Dictation good at?
- It is free and built in. No account, no download, and it works in almost any text field.
- Automatic punctuation. In supported languages, Apple says Dictation inserts commas, periods and question marks for you. You can turn this off under Keyboard, Dictation.
- No timeout. Apple says you can dictate text of any length. It stops on its own after 30 seconds without speech.
- On-device processing in some cases. Apple says the Keyboard settings show whether general dictation is handled on your Mac; when it is, voice input and transcripts are processed on the device and not sent to Siri servers. Which languages this covers varies, and Apple points to its macOS feature availability page for details.
- Keyboard and voice together. On Mac computers with Apple silicon, Apple says you can keep using the keyboard while you dictate.
For a quick reply in Messages, a note or a short email, it is hard to beat. If that is all you need, you do not need another app.
Where does Apple Dictation fall short?
Apple Dictation is a transcriber: it writes down what you say. That is a strength for accuracy and a weakness for real work, where you speak in half-sentences, restart, and say “um”. Here is where people tend to reach for something else:
- Long prompts into AI apps. When you talk through a problem for two minutes to Claude or ChatGPT, you want clean text, not every pause and false start.
- Filler words. Apple does not describe any filler word removal; Dictation writes down what you say. Some dedicated apps remove “um” and “uh” before inserting the text: Wispr Flow says so on its homepage, and VoiceDrop does it by default for Windows and Mac dictation.
- Mixed languages. Apple Dictation works in one chosen language at a time; you switch manually. If you naturally mix languages in one sentence, for example Norwegian with English technical terms, that gets awkward.
- Language availability. Apple notes that Dictation is not available in all languages or regions, and features vary.
- Meetings. Apple Dictation is not built to capture a Teams or Zoom call with the other side’s audio.
- Voice Control conflict. Apple says standard Dictation is unavailable while Voice Control is on.
How do Mac dictation apps compare?
| Option | Price (Pro, per month) | Minute or word cap | Filler words removed | Meeting notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VoiceDrop (our app) | $7.99, or $79.99 a year | 1,200 min a month on Pro (2,400 on Max) | Yes, on by default | Yes, on Mac, Windows and iPhone |
| Apple Dictation | Free | No timeout | Not mentioned by Apple | No |
| Wispr Flow | $15, or $12 billed annually | No dictation cap on Pro | Yes, per wisprflow.ai | Yes, Notetaker on Mac and Windows |
| Aqua Voice | $10, or $8 billed annually | Unlimited words on Pro | See provider | Not listed |
If you dictate for hours every day and never want to think about minutes, Wispr Flow or Aqua Voice without a cap may suit you better. VoiceDrop Pro has a 1,200-minute monthly cap, billed per second, so a 30-second dictation uses half a minute. In exchange, VoiceDrop has the lowest Pro price in this table and includes dictation, meeting capture and an iPhone app in one account. Compare plans on pricing, or read our Wispr Flow alternative comparison.
When does a dedicated dictation app help?
We built VoiceDrop for people who talk to AI tools all day. You hold a shortcut you choose, speak and release. Punctuated text is inserted straight away where your cursor is in most apps: the Claude, ChatGPT and Codex desktop apps, the browser, Mail, Slack and Teams. On Windows and Mac dictation, filler words like “uh” and “um” are removed by default. VoiceDrop recognises 57 languages automatically, including speech that switches language mid-sentence.
I’m refactoring the billing module. Keep the public API the same, um, but split the invoice logic into its own file and add tests for the edge cases around proration.
It also records meetings. VoiceDrop captures your selected microphone plus the Mac’s audio, so it works with Teams, Zoom, Google Meet or any call, with no bot joining. You get a speaker-separated transcript with timestamps and Smart Notes with a summary, decisions and action items. For more on prompting by voice, see talking to ChatGPT and Claude instead of typing.
How do I set up VoiceDrop on a Mac?
- Pick the right installer On the download page, choose Apple silicon for Macs with an M-series chip, or Intel for older Intel-based Macs. Not sure? Apple menu, About This Mac shows the chip. VoiceDrop needs macOS 13 or later.
- Install Open the DMG, drag VoiceDrop into Applications, then open it and sign in or create a free account.
- Allow Microphone Needed to hear you. macOS asks the first time you dictate.
- Allow Accessibility Lets VoiceDrop insert text where your cursor is in other apps.
- Allow Screen & System Audio Recording Asked when you first record a meeting. macOS groups screen and system sound in one permission; VoiceDrop uses it for meeting audio only and saves no screenshots or screen video.
- Dictate Click into a text field, hold your shortcut, speak when the overlay shows Listening, and release. Change the shortcut in Settings.
Some apps block text insertion. When that happens, the dictation stays in VoiceDrop and you can reinsert it with a shortcut or paste it. Quick dictations are saved locally on your Mac and only reach the cloud if you turn on sync. Audio sent for transcription is not kept in your account after processing.
Should I use Apple Dictation or an app?
- Choose VoiceDrop (our pick) if you write long prompts to AI tools, mix languages, want meeting notes without a bot, and want the same account on Mac, Windows and iPhone. On a PC too? See the best dictation app for Windows.
- Stick with Apple Dictation for short messages, notes and emails, or if you want everything free and, where supported, on your device.
- Choose an uncapped app such as Wispr Flow or Aqua Voice if you dictate for hours a day.
Questions about setup, or something Apple Dictation does that you miss in VoiceDrop? Email the founder. Feature requests are read personally.
Talk directly to the founder
VoiceDrop is founder-led, so support is personal: when you write, I read it and answer myself. Ask for a feature: write to me at hi@tryvoicedrop.com. Many of this month’s improvements were driven by real-world testing and feedback.
Gustav Tøstie, founder
Shipped in October 2026
- Eight desktop releases (0.4.13 to 0.4.20), plus iPhone updates
- Faster paste into the app you are typing in
- Filler words like “um” removed automatically in Windows and Mac dictation
- Start and stop recording from Control Center on a locked iPhone, with a notification when the transcript is ready
- Free plan raised to 30 minutes a month
- This website in seven languages